The history of Hamptonne traces back to the 15th century. With its numerous granite buildings, it provides a story of Jersey rural life throughout the years. It has houses and a farm, most of which have been restored and refurnished over time but are still reminiscent of what Jersey life used to be like across the centuries.

On our trip to Hamptonne, we explored the different houses, which are named after the families who have lived at Hamptonne.

The architecture of the Langlois house is similar to that in medieval Brittany. The rooms below were used for the livestock, whilst the rooms above were for the family.

The Hamptonne house was extended and transformed a number of times. A second storey was added in the 16th century, and another two-storey extension was built at the end of the 17th century.

The Syvret house was built on the site during the 1830’s. It is the most recent house on the site. The rooms are extremely high, and are typical of the large houses built in St. Helier at the time.

We got to photograph a woman in the house which gave us a chance to experiment with different lighting and angles as we moved around the room.

We also explored the cider apple orchard and the farm, which is home to many animals and also gives an insight on life in the 19th-20th century as Hamptonne has ran a farm for centuries.

Farm outbuildings became more important during the 19th century, as they were converted into amenities for the farmers and their families.

The northern yard was created in the late 19th century. It contained stables, a carriage house, a bakehouse, a washhouse, farm-labourers’ accommodation and an open shed.